MXT All Pro Or Garrett AT Gold For Prospecting???

[Dakota]

Of these two detectors which one would you choose for detector prospecting ? I know the AT GOLD has a higher 19 KHz than the MXT I believe  at 14 KHz which is quite a difference. I see a lot of people like them both and read Steves article on gold detectors. I have a chance to get a 2 month old MXT all Pro with 2 extra coils one being the 4x6 Sharpshooter  for about the same price as the Garrett AT GOLD new. Another thing is I would like the detector to do all metal for coins etc but that is not a must but would sometimes be useful to have. Feedback appreciated or other suggestions in the same price range I also thought about the Minelab X-terra 705 gold.   Thanks

Bill

[Steve Herschbach]

Well, I will answer the question directly without side tangents on other machines since my guide is my stock answer on these type of questions. If you need waterproof get the AT Gold. Otherwise my vote is the MXT with two extra coils and 22 months remaining warranty.

[Dakota]

Steve thanks

 

Bill

[auminesweeper]

I agree, Steve H and Chris Ralph were early pioneers of the first model of the MXT and their success rate and the stories told help launch the MXT to almost a cult status, ever since then VLF's have not gone very far if at all,  I have made many amazing finds with mine in so called hunted out places, The more I use it the more I learn even after all these years, At the time of buying my first MXT I had about 9+ detectors and when I found out just how good the MXT was I sold the others within 2 months, The MXT does everything that any other machine can do at a more realistic price and it has a proven history at finding Gold.

John.

[Gerry in Idaho]

As a nugget buster who has found pounds of gold with the MXT and pounds of gold with the X-Terra 705 and ounces of gold with the AT Gold, here is my spin on them.

For Prospecting Only the AT Gold is better at smaller pickers, specimens with salt/pepper gold and wire gold species and if around water, the AT Gold is it.

The MXT is better on larger gold nuggets, chunky specimens and much better for Coins.  It also have a bigger variety of coil selection.

The X-705 with the new price of $499 is much like the MXT, but lighter in weight, more technology/features and can identify iron better than my MXT.   The X-705 is also a killer on Gold Rings over my MXT & AT Gold because of the Selectable Notch Discrimination.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Nice to see you posting Gerry!  Great photos....

The X-Terra 705 at $499 is a killer value in a new detector. Once upon a time they were the same price as an MXT - now $300 less!!

[auminesweeper]

One major thing that I like about the MXT is that like the GP/GPX design having the rear control box lends it's self to using bigger coils, But alas at the cost of the extra weight, The weight dose not bother me having worked hard all my life, I find the MXT to be  a rock solid platform which anyone can work with regardless of their skill level, I bought my first MXT back in mid 2010 and I have 000's of hours using and testing them and I have found that I never end up second guessing or worrying that I have left anything behind, from a prospecting point of view I would only use the 5.3 coil in shallow ground, it will see bits down to 0.02 grams with 0.03g being the norm, the smallest bit of lead I found weighed 0.06 grams or 0.92 grains and being dark in colour it took me about 20 minutes to find it.

I like the fact that by using the 3rd tone AM sound that it can add about another 10"+ and more to the depth past the point of where it stops bleeping on coins, And that when fitted with an equal sized coil it can smoke my TDI's and again by using the 3rd tone it will keep up in hotter ground,

There are 2 ways you can use the MXT, 1) as a bleep and dig machine, and 2) in cleaner ground by using the 3rd tone or All Metal tone then you will be digging some monster holes where sometimes the only signal you get is a slight rise in threshold, These type of signals you really need headphones like Grey Ghosts/UDT's or Nugget Busters/UDTs,

Once you have your ear tuned in to the 3rd tone all it takes is a boot scrape of the ground to confirm the difference between a very deep target and ground noise, A deep target will get louder and ground noise should remain the same or a tiny surface target will move, This type of detecting requires 110% concentration but it works and is the only way to find those very deep targets beyond the reach of other VLF's.

hope that helps,

John. 

[auminesweeper]

Ya welcome JW,

if you use it just like you do your GPX where the threshold is the only signal you get and listen for those faint whispers or warble waver the threshold then you are on the right track, I try and keep the SAT as low as possible so the zip zip sound is a bit broader and run the gain as high as I can or use the default relic 2 tone mode and still listen for the AM 3rd tone but it is easier to hear in the prospecting mode.

good luck,

john.